Ascending. Fortunately, no one is perfect and the concept of what it means to be 'perfect' would be absolutely lost on us, as a species, in my opinion. If you walk enough eventually you will stumble and if you talk enough eventually... you'll say something really stupid. So although it's certainly possible to do something for a very long time at a very high level, to do it fantastically each and every time out is NOT. I think that it is at least partially because of that, that I try to do the best hat I can in highlighting when someone --especially a familiar someone-- is enjoying a very good spell in their career because you do not know how long it will last and, when it does end, if you will EVER hear it again. This is even the case with some of the most consistent of outliers such as Luciano, Bushman (whose time is a prime example of the hills and valleys artists demonstrate throughout their careers, despite being super consistent for the most part) (if that makes any sense at all) and others. If you follow them closely enough, you're likely to observe them during certain stretches where they seem to hit higher points even than usual. In some of these cases, especially given the level of talents we're talking about, what results is downright CLASSIC material surrounded by work of a nearly equal caliber (if you think about it, you may be able to think of a song or a full album that is universally well regarded by an artist and then think of another around the same time which may not be as celebrated but you adore). This is timeless work that will exist beyond them and the rest of us and will be amongst the first things to come to mind not only for that individual, especially, but often for the genre, as a whole. This is the greatest of the great. On the other hand, you might also have someone who, though they may not reach those loftiest of levels, can go about showing that they've made adjustments or just generally improved to a point where their music has hit that proverbial (and downright mythical) "next level" [dramatic music and pause!...]. They've found A VIBE. You know who's found a vibe as of late, at least for me? Norris Man. I've been trying to stress the point across the past year and a half or so but either something has changed in his work or something has changed in my appreciation of it because the Trenchtown native has been dealing in recent times and he's made himself into an artist (like Mark Wonder, Perfect Giddimani, Reemah and Skinny Fabulous these days, specifically) who I'll just find myself seeking out new material from every few weeks or so just to see if I may've missed anything and when I have, what I have missed is almost always at least solid (and even when it isn't very good, it's interesting or it's leading into something else that I may be interested in). It's gotten to the point where were I to begin naming my current favourite artists... I'd have to put Norris Man's name somewhere in the top ten or so and that most certainly was not always the case.
I had a thought/theory about Norris Man's career over the past decade-ish, but it's one which I'm entirely too lazy at this point to flesh out to any thorough degree (but I'm still going to let it fly) (because why not??): Does it seem like it to anyone else that, one day all of a sudden.... Norris Man just started releasing tons and tons of albums??? While I can't actually call him "inactive" for any decent sized stretch of his career in terms of putting out albums, for me it seemed as if he experienced a BOOM once upon a time and as someone whose interest in his work has historically gone through hills and valleys, I feel like I may have missed one or two of them entirely. These days, however, I'm experiencing no such wavering at all and if Norris Man is putting out new music, he has my attention.
2023
Most recently, this was the case in May of 2022 when the artist teamed up with Train Line Records for the solid "Deep Conversations" set. It was very strong and has aged well and and currently sits somewhere in my top... maybe eight-ish or so favourite albums Norris Man has ever done. Also, it was just very well presented and carried through showing that someone had cared for it both inside and outside of the studio, seemingly knowing that they had a winner on their hands (we've basically passed the age of digital media, certainly when it comes to music, but I would have LOVED to have "Deep Conversations" on disc). Just ahead of that was 2000's unique "Emerge", in continuing the prolificacy, Norris Man was back at work throughout 2023 for one special outfit, in particular. We have covered Reggae coming from out of Denmark a couple of times over the years, most notably, probably, with the well underrated and talented Jah Turban and, when I found out that the source of some of Norris Man's output (or one giant tune, in particular) was a Danish label that I don't think I had ever come across by the name of E.Turn.A.T. Records. The Copenhagen based imprint released an interesting track/project by the name of Rhythm of the Ocean (more on that in a minute) over the summer or so and it carried one of the finest tunes from Norris Man that I'd heard in quite awhile.... maybe four or five years or so and it definitely got my attention. It would not take long for another Norris Man/ETAT collaboration to materialize (which I wasn't crazy about) (more on that later too) and, before we knew it, what we had just heard were the first and second singles from a forthcoming full length release by the name of "Life", in late 2023. A new Norris Man album?! BOOM! In retrospect, 2023 was a fairly delightful year for Reggae albums and had you told me ahead of it that Norris Man would also be making an appearance (along with Queen Omega, Chezidek, Anthony B, Chuck Fenda, Buju Banton, Beenie Man (even though they didn't turn out too well), Burning Spear, Tiwony and others) he would have gone to near the top of my most anticipated, even with "Deep Conversations" still being quite fresh in mind. Not being very much (if at all) familiar with the producers actually made me even more curious to hear "Life". By comparison, what they do at Stingray, who backed the aforementioned "Emerge", is no mystery to me at all and I can fully recall being curious as to how that union would ultimately work out; in this instance I was just fully captivated in hearing how the style I heard on the first couple of tunes wouid play out through a full listen (and how much fun it would be to review. It's been a minute since I've done one of these). Also, looking over the tracklist presented, along with what I already knew of, one potentially MAMMOTH moment during this 'lifetime' that I was damn eager to hear. So how did it go?? If you aren't doing anything better (and you aren't) (life isn't treating you too good these days) I'd really like to tell you about it.
As it turns out, although far from perfect, "Life" definitely has far more peaks than nadirs. In terms of the sound and the quality of the music, it is nothing You (experienced and passionate fan of Roots Reggae music) have yet to hear or will have a problem with and, by its end, the album is fairly straight forward and finely put together and while I cannot say that it finds the artist at his zenith (used "peak" and "zenith" in the same paragraph. That has to count for a few points??) for the most part, Norris Man is near the same form which has turned me into such an enthralled listener in recent years. Now with that being said, however, I am not a fan of the opener, 'Doors Are Open'. I've gone back and forth on this one but I don't think I've ever gotten to the point where I would actually say that I necessarily like it. 'Doors Are Open' certainly isn't bad, but it comes off as.... kinda.... maybe CURSORY is the best word? It sounds like they went into the studio to make a song (or an album) and they had a chorus (which is nice and probably the best part of the song) and 'Doors Are Open' is what emerged. It isn't bad, it isn't even close to it, but there is absolutely nothing remarkable about it either. It is an average love song. Skipping ahead just a bit, compare 'Doors Are Open' to 'Get To Know You', which is another love-ish song and considerably better to my opinion. This is another one which feels very open (even more so than 'Doors Are Open') and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it were vibed and improvised to some degree, but it has such a SWEET vibes to it that, regardless of how it was constructed originally, 'Get To Know You' works for me. It works all over. Dropped right between the album's first two love song is Norris Man's afore-alluded to cut of the Rhythm Of The Ocean and my choice as the single biggest track on the whole of "Life".
'Folly Deeds' is the type of song I would point to were I attempting to sell some new listener on the work of Norris Man altogether as the spiritually themed social commentary finds him in not only a fine form but also demonstrating his somewhat unusual style of chanting near its colourful best as well. Norris Man does what he does best on a song like 'Folly Deeds' and it DAZZLES. He continues to impress in rounding out the project's opening lot of selections with the also fairly sizable 'Lesson To Learn'.
"All man shall see and know yeah
You've got to believe it yeah
We all have a lesson to learn
Dem can't deny it"
As its title would suggest, 'Lesson To Learn' is about growth and gaining wisdom and life experience. It's also very skeletal. That passage that I just quoted is the lead-in to pretty much every mini verse and that isn't necessarily a bad thing (though I wouldn't call this one of the better written songs on the album and that is largely due to that) but what develops around it is very well done and it features this very HEAVY level of humbleness and humility which you'll typically get from Norris Man's music but it plays even more into the theme around 'Lesson To Learn'.
I mentioned that I wasn't in love with the second single from "Life", which just happened to be the song for which it is named and that still is the case but I do have more of a general appreciation for 'Life', the song. It's both sort of bright as well as laidback but somewhere in between both exists a very nice and infectious (and I mean that in very non typical way. It's just pleasing to listen to is what I'm saying here). It doesn't accomplish much in its time (shortest song on the album by fifteen seconds), which is probably the biggest reason why I, initially, didn't enjoy it; but 'Life' has grown on me just a bit, I will admit. The same could be said for 'Never See This Coming', the first of two tracks featuring Norris Man alongside Danish songstress, Cisillia: It also took some time and I still wouldn't say that I LOVE it right now. This track, another love-ish one has some Pop/R&B elements to it which I won't say drags it down to any degree, but it definitely places it into a different light and makes it THE changeup on "Life". The next time we hear from Cisillia is on the slightly better terms as she brightens up the more Reggae-centric and decent 'Worthwhile'. Another one which is more on the open side 'Worthwhile' quickly discovers its groove and settles in (literally by the time the first verse begins, it's THERE) and it is just NICE although nothing special. It is a solid love song and, going forward, while I don't think my usual listening routes are likely to run me back into the work of Cisillia, hers might be a talent worthy of a detour. We'll see. Check 'Live It Up' which sits clearly as one of the set's finest offerings altogether. There is a palpable and FILLING simplicity in this song which, when linked with a very slow and lumbering pace, makes for a LOVELY tune and, for his part, Norris Man definitely makes the most of the moment on a tune which I'm even more confident in saying was just a VIBE... this time turning out in a wonderful way. The other tune here in the middle portion is PROBLEMS! 'Red In Babylon' features Norris Man alongside longtime favourite of ours (who it would be really nice to get a new album from in 2024), the brilliant Lutan Fyah. This isn't the first time the two have linked as they've previously worked on at least two separate pieces that I know of. A few years ago was 'Live There' on which Legal also displayed his talents (biggup Legal) and, prior to that (and most notably) was 'After All' which was carried on Norris' very strong "Home & Away" album, ridiculously, nearing two decades old at this point. 'After All' was outstanding and, to my opinion, 'Red In Babylon' is nearly just as strong. The tune begins, arguably, the single finest stretch of music on the whole of "Life". This includes what is my choice as the album's clear finest love[ish] song, 'I Will Remember'. This one, as opposed to several that I've mentioned thus far, comes off as far more detailed and planned out, although it does retain a sweet, rugged charm about it (a quality ever-present in virtually all of Norris Man's good work) and musically speaking, 'I Will Remember' is somewhere in the clouds. With a horn, delightfully, refusing to sit its ass down, the riddim on this song is mighty and, as it nears its conclusion in particular, the song hits a groove where it could have SAT DOWN and I remained for hours and not gotten a single complaint from me. 'Still Run' continues the winning ways as, EASILY, one of the standouts here.
"No focus pon di tings you si ah gwan, yes
And all di devil deeds dem ah perform
Rastaman forever will chant, yes
Dem folly comes to light what's inna di dark, yes
Yuh si dem dutty remarks and their thoughts-
Trying to sop wi from di righteous path
Then si di words of Revelation part
Nuff a dem walking in di dark!
TELL DEM A RIGHTEOUSNESS STILL RUN DI EARTH
TELL DEM A LOVE MI AH PROMOTE AND PUT FIRST
Man ahgo bun out dem god weh dem a serve
Dem nah do Jah work"
Norris Man absolutely BLAZES 'Still Run' with a big message of no matter how bleak things may seem, there is a positive force that ultimately is in control. I've said it (and others have) that if you take Norris' voice in pretty much any other capacity, it might not work -- the odd kind of wailing he does -- but if you think his voice is "bad" (and I have seen it described as such), I'd point you to a tune such as this one where he takes not a single poor step in terms of delivery. 'Still Run' is excellent. Lastly, is the not unexpected praising piece, 'Jah Love Me' which also does just fine. If you've listened to more than a few of these things, you aren't jolted at all to see an album like "Life" end with a drum-heavy song about The Almighty. It's what happens. This one, in particular, isn't the greatest of them that I've heard but, again, it has its moments. I would direct your attention, especially, to the last minute or so of 'Jah Love Me' where the artist just... almost seems to start just pouring out his thoughts. He does pay attention to and respect the melody, but this is something else and one of THE most stirring passages on the entire project in my opinion and an explosive not to end on.
Overall, "Life" slots in comfortably on the mid to lower end of Norris Man's GOOD albums. I don't think it's quite what "Deep Conversations" was (which is nothing to be ashamed of. As I said, that one is still getting better and were it not for the love songs here, I would predict a similar fate for "Life"), but it is within that scope of quality for me. Perhaps even more importantly, it continues a winning run of form for him and maintains my piqued interest (and apparently I won't have to wait very long to get back in as I've seen another Norris Man album scheduled for release this summer by Tad's already by the name of "Free Man") (Norris Man with Tad's just sounds fantastic). "Life" also serves as a solid introduction to the work of E.Turn.A.T. Records. Throughout the album, the music is exceptional or very close to it and I'm well looking forward to what they will do in the future. The present is very nice as well: It isn't his finest work to date, but if you do enjoy the work of Norris Man, "Life" you will SURELY find something beautiful within. Well done.
No comments:
Post a Comment